On November 3, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien met with Queensland’s delegation led by Ros Bates MP, Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training of the Australian state

Strengthening Vietnam–Queensland cooperation in agriculture and trade

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized that Australia is among Vietnam’s leading agricultural trade partners, with two-way trade in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries maintaining stable growth, reflecting mutual trust and complementarity within regional supply chains.

Bilateral cooperation programs such as ACIAR, CSIRO, and Aus4Innovation have yielded practical outcomes, helping Viet Nam enhance research capacity, technological innovation, and sustainable agricultural development in response to climate change.

According to statistics, Vietnam–Australia agricultural trade in 2024 reached AUD 4.2 billion, with farm produce and food accounting for a significant share. Vietnam imports a wide range of high-quality products from Australia, particularly from Queensland, including beef, live cattle, cotton, grains, pulses, and advanced agricultural technologies.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized that Australia remains one of Vietnam’s leading agricultural trade partners, with steady growth in bilateral trade across agriculture, forestry, and fisheries

At the meeting, Minister Ros Bates affirmed that Queensland is Australia’s leading state in clean and traceable food production systems and stands ready to cooperate with Vietnam in transitioning toward a more sustainable and transparent food system.

She highlighted Viet Nam’s strategic role as a regional hub and a gateway for Queensland enterprises to access Southeast Asian markets. The Minister expressed her commitment to strengthening trade cooperation, sharing market development experience, and connecting businesses from both sides.

Regarding the “Taste of Queensland” campaign, she said the State would continue introducing its signature products, such as beef, seafood, nuts, and specialty agricultural produce, to Vietnamese consumers. She congratulated Vietnam on gaining market access for pomelos and blueberries to Australia, underscoring this as a sign of mutual trust and expanding potential for deeper cooperation.

Four strategic cooperation priorities

To further strengthen cooperation, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien outlined four strategic directions between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam and the State of Queensland:

First, enhance two-way trade in agricultural and food products toward balanced trade and sustainable value chains. Vietnam is ready to boost exports of its key strengths - particularly seafood, tropical fruits, processed agricultural goods, and organic products - to Queensland, while encouraging imports of high-quality products and advanced agricultural technologies from the State.

Minister Ros Bates congratulated Vietnam on opening its market to pomelo and Australian blueberries, and highlighted the “Taste of Queensland” campaign promoting the state’s key products such as beef, nuts, and seafood

Second, expand cooperation in research, training, and technology transfer in modern agriculture. The Ministry welcomes participation from Queensland universities, research institutes, and businesses in innovation programs, climate adaptation, and low-carbon agriculture. The Deputy Minister encouraged joint work in soil and water management, animal feed production, meat processing, cattle breeding, and the development of high-yield crop and livestock varieties.

Third, promote investment and public–private partnerships (PPP) in agriculture. Vietnam welcomes Queensland enterprises to invest in high-tech agricultural projects, agri-logistics, value chain development, and processing centers. The partnership between TTC AgriS and Mort & Co was cited as a successful model to be expanded.

Fourth, strengthen branding and market promotion. The Ministry supports initiatives such as Taste of Queensland to be expanded in Viet Nam, while expressing hope that Queensland will help promote Vietnamese agricultural products at its international events, including Beef Week Rockhampton and EvokeAg.

In response, Minister Ros Bates reaffirmed that under Queensland’s cooperation roadmap through 2045, the State prioritizes promoting collaboration with Vietnam in high-tech agriculture, trade, and investment.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien concluded that, building on the strong foundation of cooperation and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership upgraded in 2024, Vietnam–Queensland agricultural relations will continue to grow robustly in the years ahead.

Khanh Linh - Ngoc Huyen